Imminent Conquest (27 page)

"I want you to untie dear Cathy here,” Colin said. “If you don't, I'll shoot her on the spot."

Bryan moved forward to comply. Despite Cathy's belief that she could handle herself, she couldn't if she was tied up. As he unstrapped her left foot, he wondered how exactly he could deter Colin from whatever he was going to do. Most likely, he would kill her right there and then. Then he would do the same to Bryan. He hesitated.

"Keep on going, boyo. Remember I'm the one with the gun pointed at your lover's head."

Bryan gritted his teeth, frustrated he could do nothing more than untie Cathy. Fear crawled over his skin. Why had he been so foolish as to take her up on her suggestion to play this bondage game? How could he forget so quickly that Colin had been searching for Cathy? Lust had been the only reason he could have forgotten.

Cathy's hand was almost free. He made brief eye contact with her. His heart clenched at the fear in those gentle orbs.

"I suggest you forget Cathy here ever existed,” Colin said.

"Damn it, Ice, I'm going to slam your ass in jail. You will never walk among free men again,” Bryan snarled.

Something hard connected with the back of his head, and the world went black.

Little by little, making him growl like a wild, wounded beast, pain staggered through the back of his head. Bryan opened his eyes. The overhead light blinded him before he remembered what had happened.

How long had he been out? Relief flooded through him when he saw the bed where Cathy had been was empty. He had half expected to see her lifeless body on the floor but there was no blood, nothing to say Ice had hurt her. The leather straps hung from the headboard. At least, there was still hope that Colin hadn't killed her. Bryan had to find her. Quickly.

Where would Colin take her? Bryan pondered that for a moment. He was reminded of Libby's remark that something bad was going to happen tonight and how she had planned to go to Michael's home. Wouldn't he take her home, to the house he shared with Michael?

His throbbing head made getting to his feet an exercise in agony but he finally made it to the window to look out. He could see nothing except for the driving snow.

Thinking he could get hold of Michael to ask him a few questions, Bryan clasped the phone in a weary hand and gingerly tapped in the number to his boss's home. A busy signal blocked him from getting through.

"Damn it.” He disconnected and then remembered Libby was waiting for his call. He didn't want to scare her by telling her Colin had kidnapped Cathy. Or worse yet, had killed her. All he needed was a vehicle to get to Michael's place.

He called Libby. “Are you up for some adventure?"

She giggled. “Always."

"I've got a little problem. I'm without wheels. Are you up to driving in the snow?"

"Perfect! Dusty's at a friend's tonight. I'm on my way."

He dressed quickly, muttering curses when his brains threatened to slosh to one side. He managed to keep the slim contents of his stomach down. Anything could happen with Colin being so volatile. Mentally, Bryan berated himself for not asking Cathy more questions about Ice, such as if he owned property anywhere.

Like a man imprisoned, he paced the floor while he waited for Libby to arrive. Tears blurred his vision. Cathy needed his help and he had no clue how to do that. He thought of calling the cops and forgetting about getting to Michael's. He shook his head. Michael had enough trouble on his hands with the cops searching for Nicole. If Bryan's guess was correct, Nicole was with Michael. Whether she wanted to be or not was anyone's call.

Standing in the frigid air outside his front door, he punched his fist in the palm of the opposite hand, wishing it was Colin's head.

Libby arrived in a flurry of snow, squealing tyres and grinding gears. Before the vehicle had come to a full stop, he jumped in.

"I'm not used to driving Old Yeller,” Libby said, patting the beat-up dashboard. “I use it mainly for emergencies. Holds up better than my newer model car.” She jammed her foot on the clutch and ground the stick shift again.

Bryan's body slammed back in his seat as the truck lurched forward. “Your driving isn't as wild as your hair colour, is it?"

"Heck no! What made you think that?"

"You strike me as adventurous."

"Oh that!” She laughed out loud, appearing to enjoy their escapade. “Hair colour has nothing to do with wild driving."

"That's good to know. Need instructions on how to get there?” He could barely hear himself above the truck's shake, rattle and roll and the loud hum of the heater. If it was working properly, it was chilly in the cab's interior.

"Nope. Got ‘em right here.” She whipped out a flashlight tucked next to her thigh and circled a golden halo on a map of Eastwynd that had been marked with a heavy red line. She grinned at the incredulous look he gave her. “Catching criminals is my specialty,” she yelled over the loud gears. “I've been studying to be a private dick, you know, with one of those correspondence schools. It's great to be out in the field."

"Man, you're just like one of hell's angels.” He feared he was putting Libby's life in danger by involving her with Colin. The smartest thing he could do to protect her was to open the door and roll out into the snow when they got close to Michael's place. He would hide for a minute or two and hope he wouldn't hurt her feelings by ditching her.

"We're gonna get old Colin, aren't we?"

"Ah, yeah."

"Cool! Just like Sherlock Holmes and Watson.” Excitement rippled through her tone.

That reminded him of the evil Moriarty. But even he couldn't compare to Colin's malevolent behaviour.

"I gotta tell you, I haven't had so much excitement since sixty-two when I was bonking old Willy the Kid."

"Willy the Kid?"

"Yeah. He's my beau. Been that for over forty years now. We're on the on part of our on-again, off-again affair."

"Forty years? Why aren't you married?"

"We love each other and hate each other,” Libby replied easily.

Bryan shrugged. He couldn't imagine being involved in a relationship for so long and not getting married. His jumbled thoughts returned to Cathy. When he found her, he would pop the question. It didn't matter if they had only known each other a few hours. She was all he had wanted in a woman—sensitive, good with her hands, both on and off his body, obviously talented at her career and a playful personality.

They had less than a mile to go now, he figured.

Libby slowed to take a switchback carved into the mountainside. “Uh-oh,” she breathed.

"Uh-oh what?” Bryan asked, tapping his fingers against his thighs. He calculated there was only a half mile more to go before he made his break and jumped.

"I don't have any brakes."

The truck headed towards the embankment. “Uh-oh is right.” Bryan could do nothing more than watch as Libby turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction. She had done so with such aplomb, he hardly would have remarked on it except for the fact the truck now angled towards the steep snow bank against the mountain.

"Get ready,” she warned. “I think we're going to smash into that sucker."

Seconds went by before the truck folded into the towering snow bank and came to a jarring stop.

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Nicole watched Michael's eyelashes flutter and close over his gorgeous blue eyes. She rested her cheek on his chest, rising and falling with his gentle breathing. He smelt of musky arousal and his scent lingered on her skin. A tear threatened at the corner of her eye. She wanted to memorise his features, to soak up his presence since this would be the last time she would see him. Her heart would burst in her chest. She didn't want to leave him when she had only just found him again.

When she was certain he was asleep, she carefully backed away. His breathing continued light and even. As silently as she could, she dressed and took one last look at him. Her eyes blurred with unshed tears. Leaving him and assuming responsibility for her actions was the best thing she could do for him. He would continue to hold on to his freedom instead of being threatened and perhaps having to return to prison for breaking the conditions of his parole.

With the car keys she had garnered from his pants pocket, she quietly slipped into comfortable boots, refusing to look back on the man who had loved her through the toughest time of his life. She opened the door to the suite and closed it so softly she barely heard the bolt click into place.

Once outside, Nicole reconsidered. She could stay with Michael, safe from constant police questioning and the internment in an unwelcoming jail cell. She blew out a laboured breath. The air frosted around her face, forcing her to draw her jacket closer around her. Once again, she would take Michael's car and wind her way down the mountainside, but this time there would be no feeling of much anticipated satisfaction at the end of the road.

She clutched the keys in her fist. The drive would take time and patience. Fat, heavy snowflakes fell, the worst kind of snow for driving. In the garage, she was about to unlock the luxury car's door, when she heard the slight scuff of a shoe behind her. She whirled around expecting to face Michael, thinking how best to tell him that her leaving was for the best, that she would protect him at all costs from going back to prison.

She gasped. Colin stood several feet away, pointing a gun at her.

"If you move, I'll kill you,” he said.

Nicole stood stock still, listening to the erratic beating of her heart. She clapped a hand over her mouth to cut off a scream.

"So where are you going, sweetheart?” he asked, imitating the last word exactly the way Michael did.

Absolute quiet descended around her. She saw no point in lying. Even if Michael had sent him after her to stop her, she was going to tell the truth. “I wanted to give Michael a fighting chance. Not to get him involved in what happened this afternoon,” she stated simply, straightening her shoulders.

His laugh was heartless and low. “You little bitch. You screwed everything up."

She began to shiver violently. “Just let me go. Don't warn him before I leave."

"You're a little fool. Do you think I came out here to track you down because my brother asked me to?"

Michael hadn't sent him to stop her? Relief flooded through her along with apprehension. Then why was Colin pointing a gun at her?

"I want to tell you something. Come here.” He waved the gun, urging her to move forward.

"Is this some kind of trick? You just told me not to move."

"No trick. Come here. If you don't, I'll shoot."

Sucking in a breath of pent-up fear, she stepped forward. He didn't hesitate to place the gun to her forehead. “Look at me."

Her eyes met his cold, ice-grey ones. “You screwed everything up. Michael should have driven the car away today. Did you know the brakes were supposed to fail within a few minutes? How did your luck hold out like that?” His bullish head moved from side to side as if he was amazed at her ability to defy death. “You won't defy death a second time though. I'll make sure of that."

Her heart sank at his cruel words. “You mean Michael was meant to drive up the mountain with the body in the trunk?"

His thick eyebrows shot up. “You're not as stupid as you look."

"You meant Michael to take the rap for Brad's death?"

"It was perfect. Michael wanted you so badly, yet you were engaged to another man. Why not destroy the poor bugger and let Michael take the fall? I mean, it's not like he didn't have any previous experience with prison."

"You bastard,” she whispered, hating the man worse with every passing second.

"Since you won't talk after I'm done with you, I'll spill my guts.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “How appropriate. Confessing to the woman who put my little brother in jail for so many years. Don't you feel any remorse for putting an innocent man away for seven years? Why didn't you just kill him if you didn't want to marry him?"

Nicole cringed, feeling the steely cold edge of the gun against her forehead. Whatever she did, she had to stay calm and find some way to warn Michael his life was in danger. Her eyes widened. His freedom was no longer an issue but his life was. She determined to protect him as much as she could. “What's your point?"

He laughed as he leaned over her. “My point is you're serving as the catalyst to help my brother solve this little puzzle. He's been snooping around. I know he's getting close to figuring out who killed his father."

Two things struck Nicole as odd. First, Colin had called the old man Michael's father, and second that she was the key to solving the murder. “And whoever killed Brad,” she volunteered, looking directly into those murderous eyes.

"How very clever. This may come as quite a shock, Nikki, but Brad was the one who killed old man Carmichael."

She hissed in a breath. “You liar."

"See, Brad was the kind who would do anything for a couple of bucks. When I told him all he would have to do to earn twenty grand was to kill the old man, his eyes lit up. He was dirt poor and hungry as his parents looked for work picking fruit in the orchards. You know, at first, he thought I was pulling his leg but when I told him I'd give him half up front, and he could keep it whether he chickened out or not, he got all greedy. He said he would do the deed for double what I had offered."

"Brad wasn't like that. He wouldn't have hurt anyone.” He had been poor most of his life but he had seemed to come to terms with that. Tears glittered in her eyes. Her eyes clouded over. “Oh my God. You sent the presents the other night."

Colin's grin was lopsided. “Of course. Michael had given up on gaining your heart. He figured you were lost to him."

"Why did you send them?"

"I wanted to make it look good when the cops investigate. Michael sent the presents, Brad got upset and went after him. Michael killed him since he didn't need the competition for your love. End of story."

She couldn't think of anything to say. He was heartless and unfeeling.